Braiding at Big Yard
Errol McKinson
Oil on Canvas 20x20
The new residences consisted of one- and two-storey 'knog' buildings, built in clusters or around a central courtyard with communal cooking and bathroom facilities. These residences became the famous Government Yards of Trench Town. Knog construction refers to a labor-intensive traditional method of construction where a timber frame structure is in-filled with brick or rubble then covered with a wire mesh and plastered. The architecture used was that of a rural Caribbean vernacular with hip roofs and wide verandas. Tenants would gather for the outdoors salon treat where hair braiding was the hit of the day.
Cheers,
Errol